Ashe’s delight at Irish late call-up

OLDHAM half-back Matty Ashe flew to France with the Ireland squad today after a shock late call-up.

He was getting ready to finish his Monday shift at a firm in Leigh when Roughyeds coach Tony Benson rang him with the good news.

Matty had first to get the approval of his day-job boss, but once he had done that it was all systems go for the 25-year-old New Zealander, who has an Irish passport and whose paternal grandparents were born in Dublin.

In fact, he is no stranger to Irish rugby, having played at club level in Ireland and having been selected in the past for Irish Wolfhounds, a representative side made up of players from the Irish domestic competition.

By a strange twist of fate he once toured his native New Zealand with a Wolfhounds party, headed by Tony Benson and including his present-day Roughyeds colleague Wayne Kerr.

Ireland’s opening game in the Alitalia European Cup is against France in Avignon on Saturday.

“It’s a rush to get everything sorted out in time, but I’m made up to be given this opportunity,” said Ashe.

Benson, who was also on the plane in his capacity as head coach Andy Kelly’s assistant, said some players had pulled out of the trip because of injury.

Ashe is the fourth Roughyeds player to be picked for the Ireland squad, joining prop Kerr, winger John Gillam and centre Marcus St Hilaire. Scrum-half Gregg McNally, who spent much of last season on loan to Roughyeds from Huddersfield Giants, is also in the party to travel.